Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
by Jason Tandro
Summary: My novelization of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Because of the short nature of the story, I was able to novelize this where a novelization of the other two games might take a bit longer. I include a prologue to catch people up but presumably if you are reading this novelization you are familiar with the trilogy. I aim to be true to the game as possible. Hope you enjoy.
1. Introduction

**Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII**

by: Jason Tandro

Author's Note: Yes, another novelization when I still have not finished my Elder Scrolls novelization? What can I say, the muse comes when the muse comes and I've been stumped for many moons on that one. My apologies to those who have read it, please know that I have not given up on it, it's just been a more time consuming endeavor than I had originally intended.

Fortunately, the storyline for Lightning Returns is actually exceedingly short, so novelizing it will not take that much work, and this should be finished pretty quick. I am going to try and keep this as true to the main story as possible. Given that the majority of the side quests in the game are merely fetch-quests, I will not be including them unless they are essential to the plot (i.e. Fighting Actress, Wither Faith, etc).

I hope you enjoy!


	2. Prologue: Lightning

**Prologue: Lightning **

_When I awoke from my dreamless sleep, I was just in time to witness the end of the world._

Claire hadn't always been so strong. Though lately she'd wondered if what she possessed could truly be called "strength". Her mind had long-since been overcome by the grief, fear and doubt of the world and her response was to simply lock it away deep within her heart. To pretend that such matters did not exist.

It had served her well before. _You are stronger than this. _She would tell herself. _You _must _be stronger than this. For Serah. _

Claire shook her head as the rain began to fall. She rested her hand against the enormous golden statue of the God Bhunivelze and surveyed the Palace. Thunder crackled in the distance, or could it perhaps be the fireworks? Yusnaan: The city of fools, reveling in their final moments on this world.

She tried to distract herself from her thoughts of Serah. They would only complicate things in this critical moment. But as she awaited her instructions, her mind continued to wander back to the circumstances that had led her here.

So many centuries before, during the Purge. Back when the inhabitants of Pulse existed upon a false world known as Cocoon. They lived under the protection (or in truth enslavement) of the fal'Cie of Cocoon, the god-like beings who formed the world. It was then that they had all been branded a Pulse l'Cie, servants of the fal'Cie of Pulse. It had begun with Serah, who was the first to discover the Pulse fal'Cie within the city of Bodhum. And then over the course of the Purge, and of being hunted down for the crime of merely having seen such a thing, Claire met many others.

There was, of course, Snow. He was Serah's fiance at the time. She did not approve of this union and did not think much of Snow. He was always so damn reckless. Always having to play the hero in his own little story. Perhaps had she been more understanding of him, things may have gone differently between them, but she had no time to concern herself with this now.

There was Sazh, the pilot who was fighting for his son Dajh. There was Vanille and Fang, residents of Pulse who had been encased within the Pulse fal'Cie, though they did not reveal this part of themselves until much later.

And then there was Hope. A young boy caught up in the confusion of a harsh world that he could not possibly have understood at the time. Claire eventually grew quite close to him; perhaps he reminded her of Serah.

Serah has been encased within crystal, having completed her Focus, the task beset to l'Cie by their fal'Cie masters. Those who failed to complete their Focus were turned into hideous beasts known as the Cie'th. Her final message to them was a simple one: _Protect Cocoon. _

There was at the moment of her crystallization no hope of her returning to life. But Claire would not give up the search. Even after they themselves were branded as Pulse l'Cie, Claire refused to give up.

_You are stronger than this. _She would tell herself. _You _must _be stronger than this. For Serah. _

Despite impossible odds, they managed to save Serah, save the people of Cocoon and even did the impossible of overcoming their curse of being l'Cie.

Just when Claire thought she would be able to see her beloved sister, Claire was ripped from this world and dragged into the world of Valhalla: realm of the Goddess Etro. The Goddess had named Claire her champion and had set her to the task of protecting the world and the very continuum of time from a man who sought to destroy it, Caius Ballad.

Once more she was placed in an impossible situation, facing off against the man driven to such insanity as to try and end all existence. Caius had been forced to continually guard and protect the seeress Yeul. However the powers that made Yeul a seeress also shortened her lifespan significantly and after mere years on the planet she would pass away, and a new Yeul would be born. One and many, each had the same soul, and yet each was unique.

The thought of being forced to watch her die over and over again was beyond cruel, and Claire did not blame Caius for his grief, but he was a threat, and she handled herself accordingly. Even when she felt herself losing control of the battle that lasted lifetime after lifetime she kept her composure. But when she found herself face to face with the last man on the world: Noel Kreiss, her keen skill at hiding her emotions had failed her.

Seeing that Caius's battle against time would soon lead to the destruction of the entire race, even if it was 700 years after her and Serah's time, she could not abide it. So blessed by Etro she sent Noel to find her sister Serah to try and save the world from the battle in their world. The battle that she could not be a part of.

So again, she remained apart from her sister and from everyone else she had ever known.

_You are stronger than this. _She would tell herself. _You _must _be stronger than this. For Serah. _

But Caius won. Even though the battle between he, Noel and Serah, ended in his demise, it had all been planned. For within him beat the very heart of Etro. The power of the Goddess that allowed him to exist unto eternity, protecting the seeress. Just as the new world that had been created for the human race to exist upon rose into the sky 500 years after Serah and Lightning's time, the end was assured.

Chaos- the unseen force of darkness from whence all manner of calamity occur – flooded the world. And in a final cruel moment, Serah was overcome by the gift of the seeress. Even though she saw a future for the world within the Ark, and the hope that humanity might survive, the curse overtook her, and the last light of her life faded into the world consumed by Chaos.

Deep within Valhalla, with no Goddess to serve and no Serah to protect, Claire slept within the crystal throne of the Goddess. A sleep that might last unto eternity, with the hope of keeping Serah alive if only within her memory.

Yet 500 years later, she returned. For the maker of the world, Bhunivelze, had finally revealed himself to her. He had declared that she would be his Savior. She would guide the souls of this world to the new world that he was creating for them.

And he promised that if she was successful, she would see Serah once more.

The rain beat down heavily now, and the thunder crackled and burst even louder than the fireworks. Claire closed her eyes as the rain beat against her shades and cascaded down her elaborate battle garments. She had almost forgotten. It had been nearly a millenia since she called herself Claire Farron. The harsh protector that her little sister had always needed could not have a name so common, so weak sounding.

An enormous crimson flash streaked across the sky just above the palace, and she was reminded.

_My name is Lightning_. _I am stronger than this._ _I _will _be stronger than this. For Serah. _


	3. Chapter 1: A Different Snow

**Chapter 1: A Different Snow**

A gust of wind caused a banner to fly past Lightning's position atop the enormous golden statue of Bhunivelze. The monorail that connected the few remaining places of this world together soared past high overhead, its light shining through the clouds. The rain had stopped, but the thunder and heat lightning had remained bursting around her.

A loud display of fireworks exploded right above Lightning's head and distant bells began tolling. The sun had long since set, and people were cramming themselves into the Augur's Quarter of Yusnaan, preparing for the night's festivities.

The small radio in Lightning's ear crackled.

"It's beginning," the voice on the other end said. "The feast at the end of time. The last revelry to say 'farewell'. The people here know that it's almost over."

Lightning stood up, her white garments drenched and glistening in the reflected glow of the clock within the statue's bosom. Another streak of fireworks soared past her and blossomed into sparks of color. They were soon drowned out by another crimson flash of lightning.

"Yeah," Lightning said. She removed her shades and placed them within her satchel. "Only thirteen days to go."

She hopped from the statue to the nearby Palace wall. Taking a quick look around to be sure that she had not been noticed – of course she hadn't, the people were too busy with the celebration to notice her- she climbed up the side of the wall into an opening that gave her a view of the ballroom.

Colorful strobe lights flashed, the music seemed to shake the very foundation of the room, and the people danced, all dressed in their unique garbs and provocative clothing. This was an end to all things. Now was not the time to be modest.

Sitting on the second level of the ballroom in what could only be described as a throne was Snow. The centuries of an undying world and a cessation of time had kept his body as youthful as ever, but in his eyes were etched the harsh memories of a thousand years of regret. Sometimes Lightning would forget that she was not the only person in this world whom Serah's death had completely and inexorably shattered.

As she looked upon him, she saw the brand on his right arm. The familiar markings of a l'Cie; servant of the god-like fal'Cie. He had willingly taken upon the curse a second time in his search to find Serah so many centuries ago. The cursed existence that awaited him at the end of his life as a l'Cie was, to him, worth the power it gave him to try and find and protect her. All of this only to fail.

A dark ripple crossed the ballroom and a shiver ran through the ballroom.

"It's the Chaos," the voice in her headpiece said. "Do you want to turn back?"

"Too late now," Lightning said as she walked through the crowd of people, some of whom had already to disappear within the Chaos, leaving only the white aura of their souls remaining.

As Lightning slowly approached the center of the Ballroom, making her way closer to Snow, one of the heavily armored soldiers rushed out towards her, raising his rifle.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" He shouted.

Lightning grabbed him by the throat and slammed him onto the ground, knocking him out cold. The nearby people gasped at the spectacle, but were even more horrified as she lifted the same white aura from him.

_Be at peace_, she thought as his soul and all the others who had been liberated from their undying bodies slowly began to circle around her.

Snow stood up from the throne, witnessing the amazing display as the souls finally settled within her. The soldiers near him began rushing down the stairwells towards Lightning, leaving him with only two of his close bodyguards.

"The Savior," he muttered.

Lightning and Snow locked eyes for a moment before the ripple of darkness turned into a full-blown quake. The ground shook, almost all light was extinguished, and from the massive wall of darkness there came a great trembling sound. The crowd had succumbed to that absolute and all-consuming silence that hung on the edge of total pandemonium.

"Sire," gasped one of Snow's bodyguards.

"Got it," Snow acknowledged, moving towards the approaching wall of darkness.

A hand reached out of the wall, light bursting from the crack in the fissure. The hand closed around a girl and pulled her into the darkness as she shrieked. From the exact spot where the hand had come, now poured out a large horde of enormous monsters born from within the Chaos. These massive hulking figures carried enormous double-bladed axes which stood almost as tall as they; each one standing as tall as two men. Their broad human-like bodies ended in the head of what could perhaps be mistaken for a wolf, except for the tall bat-like ears.

A swipe of one of these creature's axes sent three bodies flying up towards Snow. He leapt from atop his perch, his hand engulfed in flame. With a single banishing swipe the inferno within him caused the monster to dissipate into nothingness. Snow sat for a moment after this glorious strike, a sudden pain shooting up his arm. He clenched onto the spot where the l'Cie brand lay hidden beneath his gray jacket, hidden to all except himself and Lightning.

One of the monsters landed just beside him and as he looked up he saw Lightning standing in the center of the ballroom. Her hand was still raised, holding the enormous crimson blade which had set the creature flying in the first place.

"Snow, it's been a long time," Lightning said. She raised her sword towards him. "You know what I am, and you know what I want."

Snow stood up, smashed his foot into the head of the monster, dispelling it with the frosty chill of ice that exploded from the impact. His brand burned once more, but he ignored it.

"I can take a wild guess," he said shaking his long white hair out of his eyes. With a slight clench in his teeth he growled. "You want to _save _me."

The remaining monsters resumed their attack, Lightning her way through each one almost casually. Three of the enormous beasts had her pinned down, but she was still holding her own, blocking each of their successive strikes with his incredible swordsmanship.

"Legends are told of her coming," Snow said. "Banisher of darkness, bringer of light, redeemer of souls. She'd come at the end of days to guide our souls to salvation."

Lightning had cut her way through the monsters between her and Snow and they now stood mere feet apart. Snow had himself been battling with his own set.

"Damn you, Lightning!" Snow cursed as he dispatched yet another beast with an icy axe that he had summoned. His brand was an absolute inferno at this point. "What's it gonna be?!"

Lightning and Snow met in the center, his frigid axe against her crimson steel. The power of a God's Savior against the power of a Pulse l'Cie.

"You gonna try to kill me," Snow growled as the two pushed against one another. "Huh?"

They both saw it at almost the last moment. One straggler had come at them from Snow's right. The broke their lock for a moment to each strike at the beast, cutting it down. It disappeared into Chaos and their alliance of mere seconds had ended. The two chased each other around the room, smashing through the stone pillars and decorations, each trying to find that one opening that might give them an advantage in this near deadlock.

It was Lightning who had found it. Taking a quick strike at him as they rounded a corner, she shattered his axe and sent him hurling back into the center of the ballroom once more. Between those who had been absorbed by the Chaos and those who had managed to flee, Lightning and Snow were the only ones left within the Palace.

As Snow slowly lifted himself up, Lightning's sword was at his shoulder. He felt it graze slightly against his ear, the steel that promised death colder than any ice he could conjure.

"It's over," Lightning said.

Snow slowly stood up. "You're a regular Angel of Death, Light. So now what? Is this the bit where you save my soul?"

"I could help you," Lightning replied. "If that's what you want."

"Damn it," Snow let out softly as he turned and grabbed her collar, pulling her closer and setting her sword right up against his neck. "What kind of answer is that?"

The two stood eye to eye, Lightning's sword inches from a death strike. Sweat dripped from Snow's brow and off of the small patch of beard at his chin. The centuries had changed him in more ways than Lightning could have ever possibly guessed. Snow had always been the hero. The foolish, the arrogant, the smug. And standing before her was a soul crying out through the sorrow of a hopeless existence. Here was a soul she must save, and yet he viewed his only hope for true salvation as an early death.

"Uh-uh," came a small girlish voice from above their heads. Darkness took over once more, casting them both in shadow. "That isn't going to work."

In the reflected light that shone through the roof, Snow's body had suddenly changed into that of a young woman wearing a black dress, with the same rose-colored hair as Lightning. The soft face, the frail looking body. Her mind screamed with the possibility that she knew could not be: how much she did looked like Serah.

The phantom girl smiled and giggled as a scarlet line etched through her blade. It glowed brightly until the blade shattered at its point, light returning to the room and the girl's figure turning back into Snow.

The flying tip of her sword stuck into the tile floor a few feet behind her. The two looked up at the little girl in the black dress, sitting atop the enormous chandelier kicking her feet merrily as she looked down at the display between the two.

"Lumina!" Snow shouted.

"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away!" She said as she raised her hand towards the ceiling.

A burst of energy caused the chandelier to start falling to the ground as she disappeared into the Chaos. Snow summoned the last bit of his energy to send an enormous wave of ice towards the falling shards, encasing them all within a towering display of crystal.

"I swear that kid is a demon," Snow said, panting as his brand continued to burn.

"Angels of death and demons," Lightning replied. "You're attracting the wrong crowd, Snow."

The Chaos that had once filled the room now began to fade away, rushing towards Snow and seeping into his body. "No one is gonna stop me, you hear? Not you," he clenched his fist. "And definitely not her."

The Chaos had almost consumed him, and the sound of sentries rushing in to check on Snow echoed from outside the doors.

"If I have to fight the Savior, then I will," Snow said before turning back towards the remains of the Chaos and disappearing into the void.


	4. Chapter 2: Hope

**Chapter 2: Hope**

The centuries had changed them, Snow and Lightning. Once they fought desperately against their fates. Now he was the Patron of a never-ending revel, presiding over a banquet at the end of the world. And she had become, "the Savior"; a servant of God, sent to a world that was being consumed by Chaos.

_Tell me Snow, _Lightning thought. _Does a day pass when you don't think about Serah? The girl you loved? My younger sister? _

How long had she been gone now? She had brought them together; made them allies and friends. Lightning couldn't give Serah back to him. But she could save his soul and free him from his long torment. It would be her first act as Savior.

Lightning looked around the now deserted ballroom. The shrill wailing outside told her that security could not be far off now.

"All right Mr. Hope Estheim," Lightning said, speaking into her earpiece. "Any ideas? What do I do next?"

"Light, come on," Hope replied in her ear. "Just call me 'Hope' okay? Right now your number one priority is Snow."

"Help me track him," Lightning replied.

There was brief delay on the other end of the line.

"Got him. Head towards the palace center," Hope replied.

Lightning ran up the stairwell along the side of the ballroom, hopping over the debris from their earlier engagement. The two of them had really done a number on this place, and it was amazing that any columns holding up the second floor awning still stood.

The more private areas of the palace were mere yards away from the ballroom. The magnificent marble tile covered in beautiful carpets, the elaborate lighting and beautiful décor; all of this seemed to melt away as Lightning progressed further into the palace. It was replaced with steel, drab minimalistic lighting and the unmistakable ever-present vibration of Chaos. This was less a palace and more of a tomb.

"What is Snow up to anyways? Where's he going?" Lightning asked.

"I'm getting powerful Chaos readings from inside the palace," Hope replied.

That much she did not need to be told. It was even difficult for her to breathe now in the all-consuming miasma that surrounded her. If she was not careful she would stumble upon a monster at any moment.

"And that's exactly where he seems to be heading," Hope replied.

Snow was heading _into _the Chaos? The fact that he'd seemed to absorb the Chaos into his very essence before could have led to only a few conclusions about his intent.

"What the hell is he thinking?" Lightning asked. "Running straight into the Chaos? Is he going there to try and stop it or-"

_If that means I have to fight the Savior, then I will._

"Is he aiming to use it against us somehow?" She finished.

Hope didn't seem to have an answer for this. Lightning continued to make her way through the labyrinthine passages that made up this palace. With each hallway she would reach a different barricade of some kind. The defenses were more than tight, they were excessive. What the hell were they trying to keep out?

"Light, did you notice how people here call Snow 'The Patron'?" Hope asked. "He's in charge of this city and has been for a long time."

"I don't see it," Lightning replied, shaking her head. "Sure he liked to look after people, but lording it over an entire city?"

"Well it wasn't his choice," Hope explained. "He started out just trying to help everyone, and eventually he became ruler by popular acclaim. Although I'm not no sure he actually 'rules' anything anymore. He doesn't do much these days except preside over the nightly revelry. _Lord of the Feast Hall."_

"Doesn't look like he's enjoying it much though. When I looked into his eyes, I didn't see much of the old Snow."

Lightning stopped at yet another barricade. This time it was a simple metal doorway. Lightning pushed it open and felt a rush of blackness seep through the entire room.

"Easy does it, Lightning. When that door opened, Chaos readings in the whole area spiked."

"The source of the Chaos is in the middle of the palace-"

There was a beeping in her ear and a pulsing of static. She was beginning to lose her signal to Hope.

"Light, can you hear me? The Chaos is powerful in this are-"

The connection dropped altogether and suddenly all of the remaining light in the room was extinguished. Lightning raised her sword, expecting an attack. She heard a soft and familiar giggle from mere feet in front of her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim, she made out the figure of the girl who'd she'd seen before. What was it Snow had called her? Lumina?

"What the-!? Who are you? And what are you doing here? If you're playing around in the middle of this Chaos, I'm guessing you're not human."

Lumina giggled again and smiled at Lightning. "You can see inside this stuff? Hm, then you can't be one of God's regular lackeys, can you?"

With a wide stretch of her arms, the girl disappeared and in her place stood an enormous Chaos beast. It stood much taller than the previous pests she and Snow had dispatched so easily. It had the body of a lizard, but with an absurdly long neck which led to the snout and twin horns. Lightning had read somewhere of a dragon with similar features known as the Zaltys. She'd just never thought she'd have the chance to see one in person. There was another beep in her ear, the connection having returned.

"Light, who are you talking to? The enemy! Focus on the enemy!" Hope shouted.

The beast charged her, but even with her broken sword she was more than a match for the giant monstrosity. While it snapped at her with its iron-like fangs, she leapt out of the way, sliding towards the soft-underbelly of the beast.

A quick jab with her sword toppled the beast onto its side. It retaliated by swiping at her with its up-raised claws, but Lightning already had all the advantage she needed. With a final thrust, she dug the blunt edge of her sword into the monster's skull and it vanished, leaving behind only the glowing aura of its soul.

"Light, are you okay?" Hope asked.

"Listen, Hope. I need more info. Can you analyze this Chaos matter for me?"

Hope seemed a bit exasperated as he replied, as though he felt the request was redundant. "I've been trying to do just that, but... it's no good. None of my instruments will tell me anything. It's just too hard to see."

Lightning was a bit perplexed now. She'd only been with Hope for a matter of hours now, from the point when she'd awoken on the Ark this morning, but it seemed like there wasn't anything he couldn't accomplish. With a technical setup to rival the old Guardian Corps security detail from all those years ago, he'd been able to plan this entire entrance even up to finding out exactly when to get it in, where to find Snow and how to engage. And now there was something that even _he _couldn't do?

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. The sensors know it's _there _alright_, _but when they actually look into it they can't pick up anything at all. Sometimes it's so thick my monitors go completely blank. Sorry, Light. I'll try to feed you as much info as possible, but with this Chaos I'm not much help. "

As she rounded the next corner, pondering what could possibly be keeping something from even Hope, she spotted her road block. The barricades up to this point had been child's play. This was a double-layered reinforced steel door with an ID access. She prayed that Hope would have a solution to at least this problem.

"It's locked. Can I force it?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"That might be beyond even you. Hold on a second. I'll see what I can do from here," Hope replied.

As Lightning looked over the door she saw that more than mere steel was blocking her path. She could perhaps, with some patience, bludgeon her way through that. But a Chaos field rippled along the surface of the door like a pond disturbed by a falling pebble. Whether it was being held back, or merely maintaining its position by will, Lightning could not be entirely sure. She touched it just briefly and instantly felt her hand repelled with the sharp twinge that only highly concentrated amounts of energy could instill.

"There's a lot of Chaos building up back there," she said. It was more to herself than to Hope, but he replied anyways.

"Yes indeed. And Snow's inside. Or whatever's left of him."

"Well, he has been living without hope for centuries. Now the world's about to end. He might have lost his mind entirely."

Lightning reflected back to the hopeless look in his eyes when they'd crossed blades. How he had practically begged her to kill him right there in the middle of the ballroom. She was supposed to save his soul, not murder him. But would he even give her the chance?

"If it were anyone else," she added. "I'd say that was a given."

"Do you think it could have gotten to him though? Broken even _his_ spirit?"

"I hope not, but..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

Nor did she have the time. The alarms were growing closer now and at the far end of the long hallway, she heard a security guard shout.

"There! It's her!"

"Light, you've been spotted! You have to get out of there, now!" Hope ordered.

"After coming all this way?" She protested. "I'm his last chance, damn it. I know what he's going through. The pain of losing Serah."

"That's true. If there is anything left of Snow, as the Savior, you're the only one who can rescue him." Hope spoke calmly, trying to comfort Lightning. In truth, it made her feel a bit like she was being babied, but she understood what he was trying to do. "That's why you have to protect yourself! If you're killed, it really will mean the end of the world. And then who can you save?"

Lightning sighed. He was right. "All right, fine. Take me back to the Ark."

"Hold on!" Hope said.

Lightning felt the surge of light within her chest that slowly consumed her entire body. The room around her faded away into white, and she felt herself flying upwards through a tear in the fabric of time and space, towards the Ark.

"So she'll understand his pain?" Lumina cackled, pacing about the hallway that Lightning had just vacated. "She thinks she's going to save his soul? Would you listen to this nonsense? Ugh, God turns her into 'the Savior' and it all goes straight to her head."


	5. Chapter 3: The Ark

**Chapter 3: The Ark**

Once upon a time, Lightning had committed a terrible sin. It happened long ago, in a past that she could not change. She was fighting a war that never ended. She thought that she was saving the world, and she needed help. So she turned to Serah; the only family she had, her younger sister.

But, she had sent Serah to her death. Lightning knew what she had done could not be forgiven, but she prayed that someday it could be undone. Dreaming of the day that she might bring Serah back, she fell into a long sleep: a sleep as dark as death. The centuries passed, and each one seemed like an eternity. One day, the light touched her. She knew what it was. God himself was speaking to her. All-powerful, all-knowing, ruler of the world and sky above:

_Bhunivelze._

The light was his voice, and she felt warmth on her skin as it spoke. He told her what she had to do. She would be his servant, and if she succeeded in doing his bidding her reward would be a miracle. He said Serah would live again, and Lightning would have her back at last. And so Lightning was chosen by God to rescue lost souls and guide them past the end of this world and into the next.

She became The Savior.

The light that surrounded her ebbed away, though for the brightness that surrounded her it was hard to tell at first. The pure white surfaces of the Ark reflected the distant starlight, and seemed to radiate from within.

The center of what would be God's new world was surrounded by the scraps of metal and material from the Ark that Hope himself had tried to create 500 years prior. It floated around the central platform slowly forming into various structures; buildings, transports, all the mechanical workings that would become the mainstays of the new world.

And standing in the center of all of this was the mighty tree that rose up high overhead. Twelve perfect blooming flowers – six on either side of the main vine – glowed brightly, though the light from bottom right bloom was slowly beginning to fade. At the top was an enormous flower, which would open on the final, thirteenth day. This was the tree of life, Yggdrasil.

Standing at a large display of monitors and technical equipment just beneath Yggdrasil was Hope Estheim. Once, long ago, they'd fought side by side, bound by a common destiny. He was just a boy then, kicked around by fate, scared and angry, but they'd become friends. And then he grew up, he was going to be humanity's great leader, the one who'd guide them all to a brighter future. But it didn't work out the way any of them had expected.

"Hello, Lightning. Welcome home," he said.

This seemed an appropriate sort of greeting, though Lightning had long since lost the only home she'd ever known. A lot had changed during her long sleep. When she awoke, the Hope who she'd seen become a man was now a boy again. He was up here, in lonely command of the Ark, and this was where he'd told Lightning about God's plans for the two of them- and the world.

"_Bhunivelze, god of light, has made a decision," Hope had said. "The gates are open and Chaos has flooded through, consuming the world and everything in it. Not even God can stop it, and he isn't going to try. Instead he is going to build a brand new world. But he needs people to live in it- what would be the point of a world without souls? That's where you come in, Light. You're the last piece of the puzzle. You're the Savior. It's a simple role. You have to rescue as many people as you can from this world and lead them to the new one. It's an incredible opportunity. You can bring salvation to hundreds, maybe thousands. In return, you'll get your chance to bring Serah back."_

"_A deal huh?" Lightning had replied. "I scratch God's back and he gives me what I want- my sister."_

"_He's giving you a chance. No guarantees. I know it isn't right using your sister, but..."_

"_It doesn't matter. God is using my dead sister as a bargaining chip. Something like that should infuriate me to no end. But, for whatever reason, I don't feel angry." Lightning had remembered pondering her words very carefully at this. What was the best way to word this? "It's like there's a hole where she used to be."_

_Hope nodded. "I think I know what you mean. I'm the same way. It all happened such a long time ago. I remember it clearly, but the feelings. They're gone."_

_Lightning had remembered all too well the burden that Hope had carried with him. His mother's death, the loss of his people, the futility of his centuries of work trying to protect humanity. There was so much that should have weighed him down, given him doubts, angered him. But, it didn't._

"_Maybe that's how God wants it. Maybe emotions in his servants just distract us from what we're supposed to do. So he got rid of them for us."_

"_Maybe he did. And maybe returning me to childhood was part of his plan too. But we can't expect to understand everything he does."_

Of course she had to accept God's deal. What choice did she have? It was her fault that Serah died. If the only way she could save her was by doing God's will, so be it. With Hope Estheim to guide her, she began her holy mission. Liberating the souls of the living from a dying world, and ushering them into a new one. The savior. Servant of mighty Bhunivelze himself.

Though her first day had not gone according to plan, and there was precious little time left in it.

"Light? Light, what's the matter?" Hope asked. "What is it? Are you alright?"

Lightning shook her head and moved towards the monitors. "I'm fine. Just reminiscing."

Hope moved beside her, the monitors now flashing various images from the four major areas left in the world. There was the capitol city of Luxerion, home to the Order of Bhunivelze and the religious masses who prayed for the new world. There was, of course, Yusnaan, a party city ruled by Snow where people went to celebrate the last few mortal pleasures they had to enjoy. There was the last patches of nature that remained amidst the sea of Chaos; the Wildlands: a land of verdant fields, mountainous peaks and dense forest. And finally there was the remains of the ancient civilization of Pulse, scattered amid ruins and desert sands: the Dead Dunes. This was all that remained of Pulse, the island of light: Nova Chrysalia.

It was here that the people lived; ageless, timeless. And yet while they never aged they remained susceptible to the torments of illness, pain and death. Now humanity was dying away, unable to give birth to new life to replace those who passed away.

"Five hundred years ago, Chaos was unleashed and our world began to be consumed," Hope said. "Five short centuries. That's what it took to destroy all of creation. Now there's barely anything left at all."

Lightning had already heard this part. "And when the Savior has used all her light, the bells will toll and the world will end. Is that what you told me?"

"Yes. But when that time comes, Bhunivelze will finally awaken, and he'll bend his great will to create a new world."

"Right. And in the meantime, I've got some souls to save."

"Yes, as many as you can. Remember, every soul you leave behind will be lost for all eternity."

_No pressure_, Lightning thought.

Hope turned to her. "As long as you're here, you're safe. You can rest and not worry about what's happening in the world below. When you're in the Ark, time ceases to flow for anyone, but us."

"Is that all God can do?" Lightning asked. "He can stop the flow of time up here, but he's helpless to prevent the world from being destroyed?"

"Yes. In thirteen days, God will reawaken. It'll all be over then, and no power in the universe can stop it. That's why it's so important for you to save these souls. Remember how much Snow had changed? Here, at the end of the world, there are many people like him, caught in the grip of despair, their hearts shackled by regret and longing. If you reach out and help them with their troubles, you can break those shackles. Then their souls will be released. They'll be free to be reborn in the new world," Hope looked over the monitors, pulling up some recent scenes from Luxerion.

Lightning looked over the scene, the North Station Plaza, where amid the dark streets a large group was gathering. Of course, as time had stopped nobody was moving, but amid the still image Lightning could make out what appeared to be the figure of a young woman, lying on her back with a knife plunged into her.

"No more lectures today, you're free to return to the surface whenever you want. But remember you need to be back here every day by 6 AM," Hope said.

"You're giving the Savior a curfew, is that it?" She asked incredulously.

"There is a good reason. I'll explain it to you when the time comes," Hope said. He pointed to a large green pedestal which stood before an inverted ebony arch. Hope's prized invention; the Warp Machine. She had, of course, already used it once.

"I'm worried about Snow, I should go to his palace," Lightning said.

"You could, but I suggest you visit another city instead."

"You want me to abandon Snow?"

Hope shook his head. "Down on the surface, time has stopped for everyone, remember? The palace will still be on high alert. It would be next to impossible to get anywhere close to Snow."

"You're saying I should let things cool down first."

Hope nodded. "I'm going to send you to Luxerion. It's the capital of the world- or what's left of it, anyway. I'll place you inside and inbound train. When the train stops at the station, you can get off with the other passengers. Something has happened in front of the station."

"All right, do it," Lightning said, turning towards the warp machine.

"You're surprisingly calm for someone who's about to venture into unknown territory. But you were always brave."

"Brave? I don't feel brave. I don't feel anything. No worry, no confusion, no fear."

"That's good, but you still need to stay safe," Hope said.

The two exchanged a knowing glance and then Hope turned around and pressed a few keys on his control panel. With another beam of light, Lightning left the Ark, and Hope behind her.


	6. Chapter 4: An Evil Savior

**Chapter 4: An Evil Savior**

_Day 1, 21:00_

"The Yusnaan train is now arriving. Please stay clear of the yellow line. All passengers for Yusnaan, prepare to board the train. Passengers for the Wildlands or the Dead Dunes, please head to South Station."

The PA echoed through the small train station, the clear sound of the prerecorded woman's voice louder than even the rattle of the monorail. Lightning rubbed her neck as she stood up; she wondered if she'd pinched a nerve when she was thrust into one of the seats by Hope's little machine. The train came to a complete stop and Lightning disembarked.

The train station was small, but it was efficient. Two small corridors connected together, both leading to a stairwell in the middle of the station which led down into the plaza. The checkered floor was clean, but hardly shining. Everything in this station seemed to have a slight feeling of decay about it. Somewhat appropriate given the state of the world. And yet, Yusnaan had been nothing short of opulent. Perhaps the two cities differed on their priorities.

The shining neon sign that announced the train arrivals and departures suddenly went black. At first Lightning thought that maybe it had just lost its power, but then several guards approached the front of the train. The one in the lead gave a series of unheard orders to the conductor and then headed down to the plaza with his men.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention!" the conductor shouted. "The plaza and this station are on lockdown! The train to Yusnaan won't be leaving until the Inquisitor completes his investigation."

There was some muttering and more than a few sour faces, but surprisingly there was not much in the way of protest. Lightning headed towards the stairs leading to the Plaza and Hope began buzzing in her ear again.

"Luxerion, a bustling metropolis. The divine city of light and the holy see of salvation. It's the last bastion of peace and order in a dying world. Most of the people who live here worship the almighty Bhunivelze. The city is governed in his name by a powerful religious sect known as the Order of Salvation. God's followers believe in ultimate redemption and their faith helps keep the fires of hope burning. But even in this pious city, a darkness lurks untouched by divine light. A heresy that rejects the teachings of supreme Bhunivelze."

Lightning had reached the bottom of the stairwell and now stood out in the middle of the lamplight plaza. A small clock tower that was only about twenty feet high stood in the center of the plaza. The soldiers were now surrounding it. The two gates on either side of the plaza were brought down and additional sentries were posted in front of them.

Lightning recalled the image she'd seen back on the Ark and had a suspicion about what this could mean. It was confirmed by a passerby who stood a few feet before Lightning.

"It's another girl."

"How awful..." another said.

"I bet it's the heretics' doing."

As the passerby's moved out of the way, Lightning saw the faintest glimpse at the young body she'd seen on the screen. Blood soaked the ground near her corpse.

"The divine city doesn't look so holy now," Lightning commented.

"This was no accident," Hope said. "The girl was left here intentionally."

Once again, Hope was clearly right. As the crowd continued to thin, Lightning saw that the dagger sticking in her back also bore a note. Lightning moved closer to try and get a better look when suddenly a woman behind her screamed. The woman was pointing at the top of the station, where Lightning noticed yet another, much larger clock. What had caught the woman's attention, however, was the figure of another woman being hurled over the side.

"Light!" Hope shouted.

The figure stopped, at the end of a rope hung about its neck. It jerked slightly as it swung in front of the clock.

"Help her!" Hope pleaded.

"There's no need," Lightning said, calming down after she got a better look at the figure, which she now realized was composed of steel rigging and sacks covered in clothing and a pink wig. "Just a dummy. Hope, did you see who dropped it? They must still be close."

"My sensors didn't pick up anything at all. I'm running a search of the city's video database, but I'm coming up blank so far," Hope replied.

"Doesn't matter. I'll just find out myself," Lightning replied.

As Lightning spoke a message appeared on the wall next to the clock tower. Lightning recognized the text:

_The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter._

"Luxerion, the divine city of light- is that what they call it? Trouble is, the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows."


	7. Chapter 5: Whither Faith

**Chapter 5: Whither Faith**

_Day 1, 21:30_

The Inquisitor stood before the body of the slaughtered woman. He wore a bright white robe with a strange pointed mantle that framed the back of his head. The decoration of the robe was minimal, and yet it was clear that he was a high-ranking member of the church. The Order clearly felt that less was more when it came to their public officials.

Lightning walked up to him. She figured if she was going to find out what was going on, she would be best talking to him first.

"We need to solve this case quickly," The Inquisitor said to his guards. "Luxerion is the city of divine light, yet it has seen the murder of three girls in three days. The people seem to be growing fearful. If any of you find out anything at all, I'd be anxious to hear it."

Lightning took this opportunity to make her presence known. The Inquisitor gave her a questioning look. Lightning realized that between her shattered sword and unusual attire, she must stand out. And yet the Inquisitor simply continued as though he understood her intentions perfectly. Lightning soon found out why he was treating her without suspicion.

"There are similarities among the victims," he continued. "They have all been young women and all of them had rose-colored hair."

Lightning subconsciously ran her hand through a soft pink strand of her own hair. The Inquisitor nodded.

"Yes, just the same shade as yours," The Inquisitor now directly addressed Lightning. "You may also become a target of the killers. I urge you to be careful."

One of the guards stepped forward. "I knew the latest victim. She was a leading member of the Order clergy. She'd been a rising star, destined to become the next high priestess. But then, she retired suddenly. For reasons of health, or so it was said. And then, this..."

Lightning rubbed her chin. Three young women, all with rose-colored hair had been murdered, and the latest victim at least had a connection with the Order. And then, there was that message:

_The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter. _

As the Inquisitor and his men got back to examining the crime scene, she decided to wander around the plaza. There had to be other clues, witnesses. Anything to give her some idea of who was responsible.

She noticed a set of scaffolding which lead up to the spot where the dummy was hanging. A few of the Order guard were now in the process of taking the dummy down, but it must have been there long before they showed up. That was most likely how they'd made it atop the station to begin with. Lightning climbed up the first ladder and saw a nervous looking man, leaning against the wall, talking to the nearby guard. Well, perhaps ranting was a more appropriate term, as the guard did not seem to have anything to contribute to the conversation, let alone a chance to contribute. The man spoke in a quiet faux-casual voice, chewing on his knuckles in between words.

"This is my favorite spot. Hang out here long enough, and you get to see all kinds of things- like those white-garbed loonies, for example," the man seemed to find his courage after this statement and stopped shaking. "The Children of Etro are heretics, and they don't believe in the Order's teachings. Those Etro fanatics used to keep a low profile, but recently I see them everywhere. The Order's authority isn't what it was. Now those people wander the streets like they own the place. Do you think they know something we don't? Maybe they have a date for the end of the world. Who knows?"

This was already becoming an enlightening affair. Before too long she figured she would know all about Luxerion, even if most of her experience so far was from overheard conversations. The guard hefted the dummy down on to the top most scaffolding and set about his work. He noticed Lightning first, before the other man had, and was the first to offer a word of warning.

"The same people who killed the girl brought that dummy here. It's important evidence- don't touch it. The victim had rose-colored hair- and the wig on that dummy was of the same color. The killers appear to believe that the 'evil savior' will take the form of a young woman, with rose-colored hair. Everything points to this being the work of those heretics. But why are they so sure what the savior will look like?"

This was all getting a little personal to Lightning. Whoever this Shadow Hunter was, he knew, or at least had a very good hunch as to what Lightning looked like. And these Children of Etro. Lightning had once served as Etro's Champion. Now there was a group claiming to be her servants. But Etro would never demand slaughter such as this.

Lightning climbed down from the scaffolding and made her way to the far side of the plaza. She leaned back against the wall of the inn. She saw several more of those papers, similar to the one that had been sticking to the victim, blowing about in the breeze.

"'The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter'," the innkeeper said, talking to his friend. "Certainly an interesting statement. I've heard of the Shadow Hunter once before, from a guest that was staying here at the hotel. The same guest told me he's the head of that band of fanatics, but I don't know who he really is- or was."

As if Lightning requited clarification of her suspicion; she'd already suspected that the Shadow Hunter and the Children of Etro were linked. That had all but confirmed it. Lightning began to pace the plaza. She was trying to fit the pieces together in her head.

So far, everything made perfect sense. The Children of Etro, and the Shadow Hunter were killing these women in an attempt to kill her. That much was obvious. The two lingering questions of course were "how?" and "why?"

"It can't be... dammit, it's not like him to be late. But what if- no, no, no couldn't be that..."

Lightning turned to see the conductor from earlier standing at the bottom of the stairs to the station, loudly venting what sounded more like fear than frustration.

"Something wrong?" She asked. "Not about those murders, is it?"

"God, no! At least, I hope not. You see, it's the end of my shift and I'm waiting for my replacement, but h-he hasn't shown," the conductor was shaking, almost panic stricken. "He's been late before, but never as bad as this."

"You're starting to worry, right?" She asked.

The conductor let out a strange sound somewhere between a groan and a grunt. "He likes to make out he's a tough guy, but he isn't at all frankly. His name's Holmes. If you run into him, do me a favor, will you? Tell him Thorton's worried- and needs to go home."

Lightning nodded. "All right. If I see anyone in uniform wandering around where they're not supposed to be, I'll talk to 'em."

Lightning knew with the plaza shut off, Holmes couldn't be too far. She made her way through the center of the plaza and towards a small Outfitters shack. It was here, she saw a man wearing a uniform chatting with the owner.

"Good heavens, this has become quite the predicament," the owner was saying. "Those messages say that the Shadow Hunter will kill the savior. Sounds pretty, I don't know, prophetic right? If you believe what you hear around town, it seems that the Children of Etro have an Oracle Drive. That's a rare thing."

_An Oracle Drive_, Lightning thought. _Of course. _

Oracle Drives were the mechanical creations of the seeress Yeul. They were devices that recorded her visions of the futures. With an Oracle Drive and the proper mind to interpret your findings, you could accurately predict the future. That was it. That was how they knew what the Savior looked like. There was just one last piece of the puzzle she needed.

Lightning patted the man in uniform's shoulder. He jumped slightly at her touch.

"You work at the station, don't you? Your fellow attendant is worried about you."

The man groaned. This was Holmes all right. " My...? Oh, no! Is it time for my shift already? I completely lost track of time! Look, can I trust you?" Lightning nodded. Holmes took a look at her hair and, like the Inquisitor, decided that was enough. "I saw who did it. You know, the people who threw the dummy off the clock tower? I got scared, so I've been laying low. I can't go to the station, that's where they'll look for me."

"You were there? What did you see, exactly? You have to tell me."

Holmes suddenly became rather stubborn, but Lightning could tell it was just out of fear. "I don't have to do anything. But i-if you can protect me from those people and get me to the station, I'll tell you all about it."

In her former lives, Lightning might have considered this a burden, but she was charged with saving souls, and as a result, saving lives was her responsibility as well. She led Holmes back to the train station, being sure to make sure they were not being tracked. When they finally reached Thorton, both he and Holmes breathed deep sighs of relief.

"Holmes, you're safe! I was so worried about you, I could barely concentrate on my duties!"

"Sorry, boss. I saw what happened over where they found the girl. I guess I just panicked," Holmes replied.

The two exchanged words for a moment as Holmes began his shift and Thorton ended his. As it turned out one of Thorton's previous colleagues was killed by a monster, and part of Thorton's fear had stemmed from this previous experience in his life.

_A true friend that cares. Maybe that's enough to save a soul_, Lightning thought.

Lightning's heart swelled as faint white auras unseen by these men traveled into her body. Two more souls that she had saved, simply by helping them find one another.

"Well, a deal's a deal. You got me here safe and sound, and so I'm going to tell you exactly what I saw. It was the Children of Etro. They tossed the dummy off the tower. I really wanted to tell the Inquisitor what I saw. Honestly, I did. But I was afraid those heretics might find out and make _me _their next victim."

_You don't have rose-colored hair_, Lightning thought.

"So the culprits are the Children of Etro," Hope said, speaking again for the first time in a while. "But what is their objective. What are they after?

Lightning excused herself from the two men and headed back into the Plaza.

"Let's find out," she replied. "Once the gates are open, I'll try tailing them. Discreetly. It'll be the easiest way to find their hideout. I'll talk to the Inquisitor, and hopefully get these gates open."


	8. Chapter 6: In The Shadow of The Heretics

**Chapter 6: In The Shadow Of The Heretics**

_Day 1, 22:30_

"If you know anything about the case, I'd be glad to hear it," The Inquisitor said.

The long night had clearly taken its toll on the Inquisitor who was now leaning back against the side of the small plaza clock tower. The victim's body had been removed from the scene, but blood still covered the ground around where it had laid. His spectacles were slightly crooked on his nose and he seemed like he was ready to fall asleep. And yet all the while, he did everything he could to hold onto his authoritative air.

Lightning explained to him everything that she had found out, most important of course being Holmes's testimony that it was in fact the Children of Etro who committed the crime. The Inquisitor had no doubts at all that this was the case, though he wondered what good that information did them. Lightning had a plan for this as well. She'd overheard a passerby mention that the heretic's usually gathered in the plaza around midnight and all moved in a pack, though to where nobody yet knew.

"The goddess's disciples are beginning to gather. If you lift the blockades around this area, there's a good chance they'll start to move out," Lightning explained.

"You're suggesting I let them go? Hm." The Inquisitor looked about the plaza and then back at the clock tower. It was nearly midnight now. Perhaps this plan might work. "It's not a bad idea. Yes, yes. I'll give the order, and we'll see where the heretics lead us."

The Inquisitor turned to his two guards and with a simple nod gave the order that was required. They in turn approached each guard at the gates on either side of the plaza and within moments they began to rise. Those guards who were not strictly sentries returned to their usual routines, all except the Inquisitor, his two bodyguards and Lightning, who now sat crouched in the small shadowy gap between the scaffolding and the station wall.

Now all they had to do was wait.

"In recent weeks, the heretics have become more visible on the streets of our holy city. The poor benighted fools don't believe in God's Salvation," The Inquisitor mused. "Clearly their despair has led them to carry out these wanton acts. If only they would open their eyes. Embrace God and they could bathe in the pure light of his almighty grace. Can't they see that their souls would be liberated in the new world?"

_Maybe not_, Lightning thought, remembering how strongly Snow had objected to the mere idea of Lightning trying to help him. Even amidst the confusion, she had not forgotten him. She wondered what Yusnaan would look like if she could see it right now?

"The irony of it all is that their fanatical rejection of the savior has only made my own faith that much stronger. Although perhaps that is the work of the savior herself," The Inquisitor continued.

No, the true irony was claiming to have been moved by the savior in a spiritual sense when in the real world the savior was guiding his hand far more directly. And he didn't even know it was her.

"If you think your faith will save you, then go ahead. Believe all you want," Lightning uttered, somewhat dismissively.

Perhaps his faith had saved him. She felt his heart lighten, and hers burn ever so softly.

Midnight came and several figures in white robes and hoods, each carrying strange ritualistic looking weapons began to move through the plaza. They walked right past Lightning and the Inquisitor, who were completely cloaked in darkness. The headed out the northern gate of the plaza and towards what lead to a small restaurant avenue.

"I'll follow them," Lightning said. "You stay here."

Lightning rushed through the plaza and around to the gate. She leaned back against the wall and peered through to the other side. The group had moved their way up a small set of stairs towards what seemed to be a far more deserted section of the street.

_Take me to your leader_, Lightning thought coolly as she sidled around the gate to hide once more in a shadowy corner.

" 'The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter.' I sure don't like the sound of that," Hope chimed in. Lightning only now noticed that he had a tendency to state the obvious at the worst possible time. "When they say 'savior', do you think-"

"It's me alright. It has to be," Lightning replied quietly. "But who's the Shadow Hunter?"

She looked over to the stairwell. One of the heretics had waited behind, acting as a lookout for the rest of the group. He was looking right at where she was, but she was completely concealed by darkness, and behind a crate for good measure. There was no way he could have seen her.

But maybe he heard her?

"I don't know," Hope said. "Right now, no one else does either. The information is incomplete at best. But the Order thinks he could be the leader of the heretics."

The lookout moved on, and Lightning breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to the stairwell, climbed over a nearby railing and crouched behind another crate. The street now turned into a partially constructed alleyway with no buildings or homes. Just walls and poorly rigged lighting. And the heretics were pushing their way deeper into it.

"So it's the Shadow Hunter who leads the cult? Does that mean he's also behind the murders?" Lightning asked.

The heretics moved again and Lightning stepped back out, but for a brief moment her timing was just a bit off. Her body was in view for just a moment as that damned lookout turned to watch their back. She saw him turning and was able to react in time to get behind another crate, but it was no good. The lookout had seen something.

He moved slowly towards the spot where Lightning was now hiding, his weapon raised. Lightning wasn't scared, exactly. She had nothing to fear from any of these people. But she may have just cost herself one of her best leads. Well, if worst came to worst she could probably beat the answers she needed out of them.

The Lookout put his hand on the opposite side of the crate. Lightning held her breath, and didn't dare to make any move that might reveal her position. She did place her hand on the hilt of her crimson sword though.

Suddenly at the end of the corridor a phone began to ring. The lookout turned back towards the others and one of the other heretics even whispered for him to hurry up. He gave one last look at the crate, then rushed over to the end of the row. Lightning turned to see that the alley opened up into a small clearing with a gate at the end. Grass and trees could be seen just beyond it. In the middle of this small clearing was a telephone booth, and one of the heretics had picked up the receiver.

"In the forest of darkness, Chaos holds sway. To the goddess of death, these numbers I say," the heretic spoke. And then in a softer tone which Lightning could not make out, he spoke a series of numbers.

The gate opened and the the heretics rushed through. Before Lightning could even think to try and follow them, the gate shut again, leaving her locked out. She casually approached the telephone booth.

"See that? I think I just found my invitation to the party."

"Yeah," Hope replied. " So when the phone rings, you have to give them a code. Simple- if you have the numbers."

"Right. Simple. So any bright ideas about how to do that? I mean, considering you're doling out advice?"

"Head back to town and see what you can uncover," Hope offered somewhat simply. Realizing that this was probably not enough to go on, Hope continued. "Look, let's just go over what we know. The heretical cult, the so-called 'Children of Etro' are behind the murders. They've become increasingly visible in the city. Judging by the tone of their 'message' they view the savior as their enemy. What I don't understand is why they would target you. You're here to save souls and guide them to a new world. Why wouldn't they want that?"

Lightning shrugged. "It's not that clear cut. To some God's Savior looks as much a murderer as these maniacs do. I'm not surprised they're afraid."

"Don't worry," Hope said. "Even if the world hates you, I'll always be by your side Light."


	9. Chapter 7: The Warrens

**Chapter 7: The Warrens**

[Author's Note: This is the first chapter where I will take a bit of creative license with the world. My reasons for doing this are mainly to flesh out the Warrens a bit as they were not given much of an introduction in the game proper and I wanted to tie together the positioning of the Gertrude enemies as being solely in the Warrens. I promise, any derivative from essentially a "game script" will be in keeping with the tone of the canon story.]

_Day 1, 02:00_

Lightning sat down at the Restaurant District, the flickering light of the streetlamps illuminating a bowl of some fascinating stew. The owner claimed the ingredients had been imported directly from the Wildlands, but she somehow doubted that. You certainly wouldn't get such select ingredients in a stew that tasted this good for only 100 gil.

"So, what do you want to do?" Hope asked as Lightning finished her meal. "You want to find that code?"

Lightning wiped her mouth with a napkin, returned her bowl to the owner and headed towards the Gate that lead back into the Plaza.

"The Children of Etro are gathering now. They'll be out of my reach until they're done with their... business," she replied.

"It seems like a waste to just wait here until then. Why not explore the city for a while?" Hope suggested.

"I might as well. There's not much time left. I won't waste it."

"Yes, your time _is _the most precious thing you have now. How you use these few days may decide the very fate of the world."

_I'm aware of that Hope_, Lightning thought as she scanned the Plaza. To think that she'd been at this strange quest for only a mere twenty hours. Each moment of the first day went rushing through her head. Were it not for the fact that she'd spent five hundred years in crystal stasis, and truly knew what an eternity felt like, she might say that this day had seemed to last forever.

Lightning walked back into the train station and noticed a gate that had been previously shut was now open. It led out onto a dirt path and a narrow blockaded corridor. Lightning figured this was as good a place as any to start, when Holmes stopped her.

"Ma'am," he said kindly. "You... you do know that this leads to the Warrens, right? It's not exactly safe for visitors."

"What's with the gate?" Lightning asked.

"Well, the people in the Warrens tend to be an odd lot. They sleep during the day and only come out at night. For the safety of our citizens we bar passage to the Warrens except when they are up doing business at night time. It's just easier for us all," Holmes explained.

"You mean you keep them caged in here like animals?" Lightning asked.

"N-no nothing like that. But with the Chaos Infusions lately it's safer to keep parts of the city locked off. Besides, the people in the Warrens... they support those heretics," Holmes said.

"This gate's not going to lock behind me is it?" Lightning asked, ignoring Holmes' rationalizations.

"We lock them at 6 AM. Just be back before sunrise," Holmes explained. "Unless you want to spend tomorrow there too."

Lightning walked through the corridor, rubbing her head. "Hope?"

"Yeah, I caught that," Hope said. "It's like I said, tensions are high and the people of the city are split between supporting the Order and supporting the Heretics. They segregate some of the 'less desirable' people into the Warrens."

"That kind of treatment can only go on for so long before somebody does something reckless."

"That's true. I suppose it's not hard to see why so many people think the Order is abusing their power."

Lightning rounded the corner of the corridor and fully took in the sight of the Warrens. The entire northern cluster of the city was a shanty town made up of half-constructed buildings, ruins, and even desolate shacks out of spare supplies. Large hovering robots patrolled around town. Perhaps the Order had argued that these were to protect the citizens, but Lightning knew crowd control when she saw it. The message was very clear: _Keep in line, or we'll keep you in line. _

Lights shone around the Warrens, illuminating the entire area in a surreal and almost beautiful glow. The distant rumbling of the monorail over their heads was the only sound to rival the whirring of the mechanical sentries' engines. Any business conducted in the part of the city was clearly conducted in silence.

"Are you seeing this, Hope? It must be the heretic's sanctuary."

"Hopefully we'll be able to find out more about this mysterious Shadow Hunter. I have a lot of questions I want to ask him. Like why is he targeting _you_?"

_Always on my side_, Lightning thought. That was very much like him. The "old" Hope. The one who was still little more than a boy with a burden that most men could not bear. He would stand by Lightning because she gave him strength. She stood by him because she knew what it was like to be him. To worry to the point of losing control of yourself; your emotions completely out of control.

Now things were very different. He was the one instructing her. Helping her. Giving her strength when she needed it. Returning the favor? Or was there something beyond just that. They were friends, of course, but somewhere over the years Lightning had forgotten exactly what that meant. Not that she was not grateful to him, or did not care about him. But the effects had all been muted somewhat. She was not sure how to describe it. It was as though she was only play acting at the emotions she knew she _should _be feeling. But it was all a mental procedure, not an emotional one.

And yet her thoughts had been stirred by this sentence, and the one which he'd spoken two hours ago. _Even if the world hates you..._

She checked her watch. It was now 3 AM. Time was running out. She looked around the Warrens for any sign of the heretics, or anybody who looked out of place. Then again, in a place like this, who could tell what "out of place" was?

She spent the next few hours going from building to building with very little result. The place was a shambled mess of a place and only a few of the residents were willing to talk with Lightning. The information she gathered was nothing she didn't already know.

She checked her watch again. 5:45 AM. Any minute now Hope would be transporting her back to the Ark. As she rounded a corner she ran right into one of the robotic sentries.

"_Halt, citizen. Present identification,_" the machine stated in a level, pre-recorded woman's voice similar to the one Lightning had heard at the train station.

"Sorry, just visiting," Lightning replied, turning towards a back alley.

"_Halt, citizen. I am a Sentry. Classification: Gertrude. I have been entrusted with apprehending citizens under suspicion of illegal activities. Please present identification, or else remain where you are while awaiting an Inquisitor," _The machine chimed on.

"Fine, I'll wait," Lightning said. "I hope he shows up within fifteen minutes or you'll be in for quite the show."

"_Understood. Contacting local authorities. Please place any weapons on the ground in front of you and take two paces back," _The Gertrude chimed.

"Oh shut up you piece of junk!" Shouted a drunk man from the side of the street. "You stupid bastard!"

He threw a bottle at the machine which shattered against its metal frame.

"_Citizen violence detected. First and final warning: surrender or I will use deadly force,_" the Gertrude sang in that same level voice.

"You already did! How many more of us are you gonna just slaughter like lambs!" The man shouted throwing a rock this time. It dented the hull of the Gertrude.

"Stop it!" Lightning ordered. "You're not going to win this fight."

"_Citizen violence confirmed. Beginning outbreak protocol,_" The Gertrude's four arms lifted up and it rushed towards the man.

The man shielded his head with his hands, but Lightning got there first. Her sword cut through the Gertrude as though it were made of paper. The wreckage that was once the Gertrude landed at the man's feet.

"What the hell is the matter with you. You could have gotten yourself killed!" Lightning shouted.

There it was again. She was not truly angry with the man. Had her job not been to save souls, and by extension lives, she would have let him get crushed for his stupidity. But she knew that he would respond to this anger. He needed to hear her concern. All just a mental exercise.

"That machine. I don't know if it was that one of course, but... my wife was killed by one of them, during a riot. She was just an innocent bystander. She didn't do anything to provoke it. But it... it killed her anyways," the old man began to sob.

"Listen, I know it has to be hard. But getting yourself killed isn't going to solve anything," Lightning said. "Your wife wouldn't want you to drink your life away and end up dying the same way she did, do you understand me. She would want you to live."

The old man looked up at the woman. He stopped sobbing as he noticed her hair. The faintest of smiles spread across his lips. "So it's true. The Savior has come at last."

A small beeping on her watch alerted Lightning to the time. 6 AM. The light of Hope's warp machine began to surround her. As the old man began to sob once more, she felt that same warm feeling on her chest. One last soul for the day, just in time.

And after all, her time was the most precious thing she had now.

_**~~~*The First Day Is Over*~~~**_


	10. Chapter 8: Lumina

**Chapter 8: Lumina**

"Welcome back Light," Hope said as Lightning stepped once again onto the marble platform that was the Ark.

One day, already gone. Only twelve remained.

"So why do I have to come back here each day?" Lightning asked. In answer to her question, the souls that she'd gathered within her body flew out of her chest and towards the tall tree Yggdrasil.

"Soul energy, Eradia, is what keeps the planet alive during this time. You must come back here every day at 6 AM to deliver the souls to Yggdrasil," Hope explained.

Hope clearly had news as he had that familiar earnest expression on his face. He had been looking for souls that Lightning needed to save, and the monitors showing all the various areas now had five large dots glowing brightly against the topographical backdrop.

"Got something for me?" She asked knowingly.

Hope nodded, turning back to his monitors. "There are certain areas within Nova Chrysalia that I want you to focus on. Five locations where I'm picking up anomalous Chaos readings."

Lightning folded her arms. "And I'm guessing one of those locations is right where Snow is."

"Yes, exactly," Hope said, zooming in on the map of Yusnaan. "The palace in the city of Yusnaan."

Hope moved about the map with each of his next words. "There is another spot, in the heart of Luxerion, the holy city. One more in the scorching sands of the Dead Dunes. And finally I've measured large Chaos fluctuations at two locations in the Wildlands."

"Four regions, five locations," Lightning said.

_And twelve days_, she thought.

Hope turned back to Lightning. "To be more precise, the goals are people, not places. For example, the Chaos activity in and around Snow's palace is linked to him, and the darkness in his heart."

Lightning remembered all too well how Snow had been able to absorb Chaos into his body and even seemed to have a modicum of control over it.

"It's the same kind of Chaos that I'm picking up in the other four locations."

Lightning nodded. "And you want me to find these five people."

"They're your priority, yes. Those people have massive burdens on them. The fate of many rest on their shoulders. And that makes your task all the harder."

_The fate of many_, Lightning thought. _Of course. That means if I can save them, I will save all those who depend on them. _Lightning had a brief vision of being able to save thousands of souls all at once by helping these five persons, when Hope brought her back to reality.

"Helping them will not be easy – even for God's handpicked Savior. But I can help you."

Hope returned to his monitors and began pulling up the records of all the people in each area. The numbers were staggering and yet not nearly as large as Lightning would have liked. The entire world's population only numbered in the thousands at present. There was a separate list set aside that numbered roughly three quarters of this list. These were the souls in peril. How was she supposed to accomplish this gargantuan task?

"There is a harsh truth we must face. There are thousands of people down in the world waiting to be saved. But you cannot help all of them. It's not possible."

"I've only got a handful of days. There just isn't enough time, right?"

Hope bit his lip for a moment before speaking. "This will sound... cold. But you need to be efficient."

_Efficient_. Lightning rubbed her chin. That was interesting. It was as though Hope was reinforcing the idea that helping these five top dogs would yield the best results for them. And as for those who would not be helped by them? Who had other soul-rending burdens not resolved by these anomalies?

"You're saying I shouldn't waste time on helping the hard cases. I've got to pick and choose who gets saved," Lightning replied.

"Of course it would be best if you could save everyone. But you can't. It's a numbers game, Light. The time spent helping one person might be better spent saving the souls of ten others."

"Efficiency by volume, is that it?" Lightning did not like the idea of having that much weight on her shoulders. Or at least the old Lightning wouldn't have. She had the power- nay the responsibility- to deny so many people salvation just because it was not convenient. "A numbers game, like you say. Control costs and maximize profits. What is it that they say? Time is money."

Hope nodded, with a look that could almost pass for sympathetic. And yet Lightning knew just as well as Hope did. Neither of them truly had that emotion any more. And each of them knew that this was the only way.

"I'm going to let Snow cool his jets," Lightning said. "Take me back to Luxerion. I want to make sure that the Children of Etro don't kill another innocent girl."

Hope nodded and once Lightning was safely onboard the Warp Machine, she was pushed through time and space once more.

And then there was a delay.

Lightning had stopped warping, but she didn't seem to have left the Ark. When she looked around she saw the same platform, only now the sky was pitch black and the heavy cloak of Chaos seemed to sweep over everything.

_Where am I? What is this? _

She turned around to see the enormous crystalline throne of Etro – that titanic stone that had once been her prison – sitting exactly where Yggdrasil would stand in the real Ark. And sitting in the chair was Lumina.

"Hey, Savior. What's going on?" Lumina called in a singsong voice.

"You again," Lightning said, gripping her sword.

The radio in Lightning's ear crackled with the heavy distortion of Hope's voice. "Light, can you hear me? Are you all right? Where are you?"

"What's the problem? Equipment trouble?" She asked.

"I don't know," Hope replied. "I'm getting crazy readings- the coordinates make no sense. I can't pinpoint your position."

Suddenly the line went dead.

"Hope? Are you there?" Lightning called.

Lumina kicked her feet merrily off the side of the crystal throne. She put on a pout and huffed teasingly. "No, no, no. Hope can't hear you or see you. You're invisible. Do you know why? Because we're inside you. Spooky, huh?"

Lightning looked around the surroundings. The void filled with Chaos, with only fragments of her past sliding in and out, such as the Throne of Etro. This was more than a mere academic discussion on metaphysics, and Lumina did not seem the type to spin yarn in metaphors.

"You mean inside my mind?" Lightning asked, choosing a literal translation.

"Yeah," Lumina replied. Her teasing expression seemed to soften. In an odd way she seemed somewhat more authentic now, her similar appearance to her sister notwithstanding. "It's a safe place that God can't see." At the drop of a pin her tricky demeanor was back. "You could almost say it's like, oh, I don't know- an unseen realm."

Lightning shook her head. "All right, if you say so. But that begs the question- what the hell are you doing in here?"

"I have a name. It's Lumina. And I know a lot about you." She disappeared for a fraction of a second before reappearing just in front of Lightning. "You need my advice. And in here, we can talk about anything we want, safe from prying eyes."

"Prying eyes?" Lightning asked, putting her hand on her radio. "You mean Hope?"

"Yep. He might not realize it, but everything he learns gets passed straight on to God."

"What of it? I don't have any secrets to hide."

Lumina smirked condescendingly. "Oh, right. You're the loyal servant, aren't you? You wouldn't dream of betraying him." She covered her mouth in a quiet giggle. "And don't worry, okay? Even if I know otherwise, well, my lips are sealed."

Lightning could almost remember what the emotion annoyance felt like. The prattling of this girl was certainly stimulating her desire not to waste time.

"I have no reason to betray him," she answered stiffly.

"Right, right. That's very convincing," Lumina nodded as she slowly circled Lightning. "Keep those feelings hidden and play the loyal little servant. You want to be as cold as the steel in your sword. You do that, and then no one can guess what's inside. It's true God can't see into human hearts."

Lumina stopped circling, facing Lightning again. There was something of a warning in her next words.

"But he can read your face and tone just like anyone else, and make his own guesses."

"Like I said, I don't have anything to hide. He's promised to bring Serah back. I'm not gonna do anything that might cause him to change his mind. Why should I?"

Lumina cocked her head to the side and continued her circling. "Are you still in there, Lightning? Why are you afraid?"

_Afraid? _She didn't feel anything right now, but Lightning had to admit, this odd choice of words caught her attention.

"Come on, think about it. We're inside your mind. Don't you get it? If you can't be true to yourself here, where can you?"

Lumina disappeared once more and then reappeared sitting on the throne once again.

"I know you haven't changed- 'cause you can't."

Lightning put her hand on her hip and sighed out of exasperation. "What the hell are you?"

Lumina's figure seemed to split into two, as though she were made of white light crashing into a prism. The second reflection of herself bore the appearance of Serah even more clearly than the similarities within Lumina.

"We're just particles of dust, brushed from the palm of a god. That's all we ever were. Right, sis?"

Lumina began to fade away into the light. No. Serah was right there, feet from her. Lightning would not lose her. She rushed towards the throne.

"No, wait!" She shouted.

But it was too late. Lumina was gone, leaving Lightning alone within her own mind.


	11. Chapter 9: The Thing She's Lost

**Chapter 9: The Thing She's Lost**

Darkness surrounded Lightning and after a few moments she was back where she'd begun, drifting through time and space towards the city of Luxerion, and the beginning of her second day.

"Finally!" Hope exclaimed. "I've got a connection again. Light, what just happened?"

If Lightning could properly move during the travel through space-time she would be shaking her head. She didn't really know. How was she able to teleport into her own mind? How was she having a conversation with that girl? Well, she may as well start there.

"I was talking to Lumina," Lightning answered.

"Lumina? That girl? What did she want? And where is she now?"

_Without interruptions indeed, _Lightning thought. "You didn't hear any of that?"

"No, my sensors didn't pick up a thing. Are you sure she was there? Maybe it was just a dream."

"A dream?" Lightning asked. "Maybe that's what it was."

_No it wasn't_, Lightning protested internally. But she didn't exactly have a better explanation for what had just happened to her. Lightning landed on the north station platform in Luxerion. Speculation about what had just happened would have to wait until later. She was on the clock again.

"Er, right," Hope replied. "Teleport complete."

_Day 2, 06:00_

The sun was burning brightly overhead as Lightning stepped out onto the Plaza square. She hadn't been able to notice during the hectic night she'd had previously, but the plaza was actually quite beautiful in the sunlight. A small little collection of shops to greet the visitors to the town, and for the residents to waste their infinite time.

A small chain fence separated the edge of the plaza from the river, and looming off in the distance, now covered in golden daylight, was the enormous clock tower and the distant cathedral.

"Let's review," Hope began. "In order to infiltrate the Children of Etro's ranks we need to figure out their code. The four numbers."

"Right... and if we don't figure it out by tonight, another girl will be sacrificed," Lightning replied. "I don't want that on my conscience."

_And besides_, Lightning thought pragmatic and yet callous. _That would mean one less soul that I can save. _

"You need to hurry," Hope added. "Stay alert for the Shadow Hunter."

As Lightning turned to head towards the south side of town, she saw a young girl crying beside the raised platform where Lightning and the Inquisitor had hid the other night.

"I can't believe it... I just dropped it! Now... now I'll never, ever see it again..." She sobbed.

Lightning found this behavior slightly unusual. There was no more aging, but people still matured with experience. This little girl was in fact a 500 year old woman in a little girls body. What could prompt a reaction like this?

"Did you lose something?" Lightning asked. "What was it?"

"I lost my Carbuncle doll... It was the prettiest green color. It was an antique!" She sobbed. "It was my favorite doll in the entire world...

_The world is about to end and you are crying about a lost doll?_ Lightning thought.

"Chin up, it has to be somewhere. If you search hard enough, you'll be able to find it," Lightning said.

And that was about all the time she had to spend on this particular problem. She was about to leave, when the girl chimed in.

"I know where it is. The Chaos took it away from me," she said quietly, calming down. "Anything the Chaos touches just disappears, and you never see it again."

Lightning sighed, and hoped that perhaps by helping this girl she would at least stumble upon the code somehow. She turned back and knelt down.

"Just because you can't see something, it doesn't mean it's gone. In fact, there might be a way to get it back," Lightning realized she was talking as though she were talking to a child. The girl didn't seem to pay it any mind though.

"Really?" The girl asked, rubbing her chin. Finally- pondering – a first sign of adulthood. "I don't believe you." And doubt- there was a second.

"All right. Then I'll find it for you and prove it." Lightning said. She began to look around the stalls in the Plaza.

"Uh, Light. What are you doing?" Hope asked.

"Looking for a doll," Lightning replied as she knelt down to look under some scaffolding.

"Uh... huh," Hope didn't need to voice what Lightning knew he was thinking.

"Look, I'm not exactly sure why I'm doing it either, okay," Lightning replied.

An hour passed in searching. Lightning was able to look on the bright side as she did this by realizing that being around the Plaza was excellent for gossip. Several people began whispering about the Children of Etro and the Forsaken Graveyard. Mostly stuff she already knew. But one man had something very interesting to say.

"Did you hear? Strange glowing numbers have appeared on the wall next to the phone booth in the South Station. Or so they say."

_Strange glowing numbers. _"Hope did you catch that?" Lightning asked.

"I got it Light. Maybe once you're done your search you should head for South Station. I'd be willing to bet those numbers are the code that the Children of Etro use," Hope explained.

She crossed through a small gate into the Old Town where more of the shops were set up. She saw a large stack of boxes as tall as she was, and at the very top was a small green Carbuncle doll.

"Well, there you are," Lightning said aloud, climbing up the boxes and grabbing the doll.

Lightning returned to the young girl and handed her the doll. "Look what I found. Here you go."

As Lightning handed the girl the doll, her eyes lit up with excitement. She took the doll without a word and was looking at it with nothing short of adoration. "My doll! You really found it! Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"Make sure you don't lose it again, okay?" Lightning said.

The girl stroked the head of the Carbuncle and sighed. She bowed her head. "My mom gave this to me. She's gone now. She got swallowed up by the Chaos. It was two hundred years ago... Maybe longer."

Now it made sense. The panic and fear, to say nothing of the tantrum she had thrown earlier. She had just lost maybe the last bit of her mother. It was natural to think that she would react like this. Lightning's mind uncomfortably drifted to how she'd reacted just an hour ago when she saw Serah again, reflected in Lumina. It had been the first time she'd truly felt something in longer than she could even remember. A mixed wave of love, sorrow and panic all at the same time. Would she have called herself a child were she an outside observer?

"If this doll was safe and sound inside the Chaos, that means my mom is okay too, right?" The girl asked hopefully. "It means she's watching over me from far away, right?"

Light rushed into Lightning's heart. Maybe some good had come from it. People pray for the dead; they pray that even though their bodies are gone their souls still exist. They pray they'll see their loved ones again. That little girl prayed that she would be reunited with her mother.

The same way that Lightning prayed that Serah and her will be together again.

Someday.


	12. Chapter 10: Born From Chaos

**Chapter 10: Born From Chaos**

_Day 2, 08:30_

Lightning found her way to the south side of the Restaraunt District but beyond that she had not gone much further in her previous night in the city. She came to a fork in the road and the street signs in this area were all foreign to her.

"Hope, which way should I be going here?" Lightning asked.

Nothing but silence triggered on the other end. She waited for a moment and then heard a faint crackle.

"Light- ca... me? ...eaking up."

_Not again_, Lightning thought. She looked down the path to her left and suddenly saw a massive sphere of Chaos consume a small part of the city. People began running past her in their efforts to get away from the encroaching Chaos.

Lightning hopped over the railing of a small staircase leading down into what appeared to be a series of warehouses. The people began piling up against the wall, running in terror from the slowly growing sphere.

Lightning rushed deeper into the labyrinth of boxes and storerooms, until she found a single path just before where the Chaos sphere ended. There was a woman in a tricorn hat carrying a large sword blocking her path.

"Hey! This is a restricted area. A giant creature came outta the Chaos and it's causing a panic!" She said.

Lightning looked around for any sign of the military, but this woman seemed to be the only one impeding the path.

"And no one's doing anything?" Lightning asked.

The woman shook her head. "Thirteen brave bounty hunters volunteered to take the beast down, to keep the peace." She suddenly slammed her fist down at the air, her red hair flying and her eyes alight with a sudden fury. "Thirteen! That should have been enough, right? Guess how many still live? Just one."

Lightning nodded knowingly. Clearly, she was the lone survivor.

"God," she sighed. "Such horrors I'd hoped to never have to see in my lifetime. The city's lost now. No one can face that monster and live! And with the Chaos creating more of them..."

Lightning lifted her sword. "Sounds dangerous. Good thing I have a few minutes to spare."

"Were you listening to me!? It killed twelve brave warriors! You're just one person. And a woman no less," She said.

Lightning took a moment to appreciate the irony of sexism in a member of her own sex.

"But if you really want to fight it, I won't stop you," the woman replied. "Better give me your name in case anybody wants to come to pick up your corpse."

Lightning shook her head. "Lightning."

"Solandra," the woman replied nodding.

Without taking another moment to think about it, Lightning plunged into the sphere of Chaos. The choking sensation clotted her throat and lungs, the near blindness made her only to see through the intense willpower she'd been blessed with. And the less tangible side-effects such as complete dread once more washed over her.

She did not have to travel far to notice the giant beast whom Solandra was referring to. Once more an enormous dragon-like entity loomed overhead. Lightning regretted deeply that her communicator was jammed by the Chaos spike. For one, Hope was probably wondering what had happened to her. More immediately important however was that she did not recognize this beast, and it was not like the Zaltys she'd faced in Snow's Palace.

This beast was a bit larger, had enormous wings and a long spiked tail. To complicate matters, so infused by the Chaos it was that it seemed to be even more vicious than it would otherwise be, its eyes black as the night and its body seeming to emanate with the power around it.

Lightning tried for a swift-kill with her sword, but with a terrible slash of its front legs it knocked her back against one of the warehouse walls. From its mouth came a blast of wind like Lightning had never felt, which picked her up and flung her further down the path.

Her head rang from the force of the landing, and a faint trickle of blood rolled down her head. She couldn't rush in like that again. The monster was simply too powerful for her. Before she had time to consider a strategy the beast rushed at her once more. It slammed its own horned head against her. She lifted her shield quickly to try and repel the creatures attack but while it prevented her torso from being cut up, the shockwave of the creature's head rushed through the shield and into her left arm causing it to quake with pain.

Lightning had to react quicker than this. She rolled around the beast to try and get a decent bead on the monster but even in this narrow space, it was able to react hastily, using its tail to fight her off while it slowly turned. The spiked appendage whipped at her recklessly as the monster turned to face her.

Lightning swung her sword at the beast and while it did strike its torso the creature did not even seem to notice. It reached down with its head and bit into Lightning's shield-arm. Lightning screamed in pain as the monster's teeth sunk into her flesh With an effect like a catapult, it flung Lightning over its shoulder and she sailed like a rag-doll through the air, her arms useless. She hit the ground beside Solandra with a thud and the bounty hunter's green tricorn hat was the last thing she saw before passing out.

_Day 2, 11:00_

She awoke a few hours later in a bed at the inn near the south plaza. Standing over her bed was Solandra and a very elaborately dressed woman. She had long brown hair and seemed to be in a a chocobo costume, complete with brilliant pink wings instead of arms, a short feathery skirt and a hat that looked like the beady eyes and beak of the enormous wild birds.

"You're finally awake," Solandra sighed.

"What happened?" Lightning asked as she slowly got up. Her arm and head had been bandaged, and the clock on the bedside table read 11:05 AM.

"The monster took you for a ride," Solandra replied. "Good thing the Order showed up to police the area or I would have had to leave you there. This lady-" Solandra nodded to the bird-girl. "-paid for your room too."

"Thank you," Lightning nodded. She suddenly remembered and pushed the button on her ear. "Hope! Are you there?"

"Light! You had me worried sick," Hope said.

Lightning lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"You need to be more careful, Lightning. If you die, there's no hope for anybody," Hope ordered.

"I understand Hope," Lightning replied.

Lightning turned back to Solandra. "Thank you again."

Solandra took this as her cue to leave and walked out of the room. The girl in the outfit sat down beside Lightning on the bed.

Lightning was confused by this at first. "Um. I can pay you back if you'd like."

"Choco-boco! It sure has been a long time, hasn't it, Lightning?" The woman smiled.

Lightning leaned back against the headboard. "How do you know my name? I don't think we've met."

The woman gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with one of her "wings". "What!? Don't tell me you don't remember Chocolina!" Then, as if coming to her senses, she calmed down. "...Oh, duh, of course _you _wouldn't."

Lightning cocked her head to the side. Chocolina continued.

"Let's just say that I gave your sister a helping hand during her journey a long, long time ago."

Lightning sat upright. In doing so she found that her arm was fine. The pain had long since subsided or so it seemed. She took off the bandages and found that not so much as a scar remained of them.

"You sure are a quick healer!" Chocolina observed.

_Of course I am, _Lightning thought. _I suppose I am part-deity now._

"You helped Serah on her journey?" Lightning asked, brushing her non-wounds aside. "... I hope I don't offend you, but- you're not entirely human, are you?"

Chocolina sighed. "No. Sadly, in my true form I'm not nearly as drop-dead gorgeous. But I _am _on your side. I'm here to help, like I did for your sister."

"I don't even know you. How do I know you're not lying to me?"

Chocolina smiled unconcernedly. "Well you're just going to have to try."

Lightning didn't feel the same sense of being manipulated that she did whenever Lumina was around, and with her bubbly personality she certainly seemed trustworthy.

"Oooh, I know! I can tell you all about me and my past until I convince you I'm a friend! It all started back when-"

Lightning's head was beginning to hurt once more for reasons that had nothing to do with being hurled by a dragon.

"Wait, never mind. I trust you. You're on my side. Please, stop talking."

Chocolina smiled. "Well, I'm off to go explore the city. But I'll be keeping an eye on you!"

Chocolina left and Lightning stood up. She picked up her shield and re-sheathed her sword.

"So, almost noon and I haven't found a single number yet. But the path to the south station is blocked by that monster," Lightning sighed.

"About that. I overheard the women who helped you talking about the dragon. I've looked up something that I think come's close," Hope said. "It's called a Zomok, it's an ancient type of air dragon. And one that is infused with Chaos... well I don't dare think of what that would be capable of."

"It's too strong for me?" Lightning asked. "Let it go?"

"Normally I'd say yes," Hope said. "But if the Chaos spreads any further it could destroy the whole town. We'll need to come up with a strategy for defeating it. Is there anything you can remember about the fight?"

"Yeah," Lightning replied sardonically. "Don't let it bite you."

"Funny," Hope replied without a trace of amusement. "It's in a collection of narrow streets-"

"But it moves pretty fast. I already tried using speed over strength, and it didn't work any better."

"With those tight quarters it will be grounded, and shouldn't be able to fly. Maybe if you can get to the rooftops you can attack just it's head, without having to deal with the rest of it," Hope suggested.

"The head is the most dangerous part," Lightning replied.

"Well, like you said, just don't let it bite you," Hope replied.

Lightning shook her head. He did have a point.

"Okay. I guess we'll try this again then," Lightning sighed.


	13. Chapter 11: Soul Seeds

**Chapter 11: Soul Seeds**

_Day 2, 11:30_

Lightning returned to the industrial area where Solandra was waiting for her. She looked genuinely surprised to see her up and about, much less returning to the scene of her near death.

"You're really gonna try this one again?" Solandra asked.

"I have to," Lightning explained. "I can't really explain why though."

Solandra shrugged. "Fair enough. But let me come in with you this time."

Lightning folded her arms. Solandra was just a bounty hunter and God's own Savior had been throttled by this beast. She'd be putting herself in tremendous risk, for the second time. But then, so was Lightning.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Lightning asked.

"I have to. If I don't try again, I'll just regret it for the rest of my life," Solandra nodded.

Lightning returned the nod. "Very well. But I'll need you to follow my lead."

"Oh, you have a plan?" Solandra asked.

"We're going to stay out of the beast's reach and force him to attack us on our terms. We need to get to the rooftops," Lightning explained.

"Got it. Don't worry, I'm great at climbing," Solandra replied.

"Very well then. Let's go," Lightning said, plunging herself into the Chaos.

Solandra was right behind her. Lightning was heavily affected by the Chaos, divine being though she was. Solandra appeared to be in absolute agony.

"Damn it," Solandra cursed as she gasped for air. "I forgot what this sensation felt like."

"You can always turn back," Lightning replied.

"No. I'll get used to it. Just don't wander too far from me okay? I can barely see in this stuff."

The two warriors made their way through the alleyway where the Zomok was waiting for them, still guarding that passageway with its entire body. It shrieked with recognition at the approaching threat.

"This pipe," Lightning said, grabbing onto a gutter pipe on the side of the building. "Let's move!"

Lightning climbed swiftly up the pipe, and to her credit even pained as she was, Solandra kept pace. The Zomok lumbered slowly towards them, the ground shaking and the surrounding Chaos rippling with each step it took.

"What now?" Solandra asked.

Lightning raised her sword. "Off with its head."

The plan had worked somewhat. They were high enough off the ground that it could not use its tail or really maneuver. But the beast rested its front legs on the top of the roof. It was forced to use its wings to stabilize itself, but it was still able to swipe at them as they tried to come closer.

"The beast is smarter than we gave it credit for. It knows what we're trying to do," Lightning cursed.

The dragon's left claw smashed down on the rooftop right beside Solandra who barely dodged it. She lifted her blade and tried to stab at it, but it had already retracted its leg and was swiping towards Lightning with its right.

Lightning leapt away from it. She, like Snow, had been given the gift of magic; only hers was the blessing of God. But Dragons were naturally resilient to magical attacks.. And neither her nor Solandra could get close enough to the beast to attack with their weapons. There had to be another way to attack this monster, if she could only find a way.

She looked over to Solandra who had just dived another swipe from the beast. That was it. They would have to strike together. She would have to count on her as well.

"Solandra!" Lightning shouted. "We attack together!"

"Together?" Solandra asked.

"Right up to him! Just push straight for him, no matter what!" Lightning yelled.

"Got it!" Solandra called back.

Both women rushed towards the dragon's torso from opposite directions. It was in that split second of indecision, where the dragon tried to determine which was the more legitimate threat that it happened. It stood for just a moment on both of its legs with no support other than they and its wings. Lightning lunged forward with Solandra just moments behind her and thrust her blade into the monsters chest.

Collapsing under the weight, it fell onto its back, roaring with fury.

But it was too late, they had the advantage now and they took it. With a final strike from Solandra's sword, the dragon was decapitated, and slowly evaporated into nothingness. The Chaos around them slowly dissipated, returning the sunlight that had once been.

Solandra sat down on the sidewalk looking at the place where the Zomok had fallen.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked.

Solandra shook her head. "It's over. Because of your actions the other men... they're resting peacefully now. They know their deaths weren't in vain."

"You helped too," Lightning said. "I couldn't have done this alone."

Solandra shook her head. "I wouldn't have even gone back in if it weren't for you. I was a coward. One failure and I turned tail and fled. In my mind, the beast had become Chaos itself!"

"But you were brave enough to come back. To finish what you started, even knowing what awaited you should you failed."

Solandra nodded slowly. Lightning felt the all-too-familiar sensation once more.

"You really inspired me, you know that?" Solandra replied.

Lightning folded her arms. "Not to be reckless, I hope."

"Never- caution is my middle name, after all. But we bounty hunters, we like to live on the edge.

Danger! That's what it's all about! Can't live without it like you can't live without air!" Solandra announced proudly.

"Nice work," came a man's voice from behind them.

The two looked over to see a man in a brown pointed mage's cap and a dark purple robe.

"Were you planning on giving us a hand back there?" Lightning asked.

"I was going to, but you ladies seemed to be doing a wonderful job by yourself," the man said, smirking in a somewhat superior way.

"Who are you?" Lightning demanded.

"Baird's the name. I'm a Seed Hunter," the man bent down on the ground near where the Zomok's corpse had been. He picked up a dark puple gemstone. "And this is what I hunt for: Soul Seeds."

"What is that?" Lightning asked.

Baird shrugged. "To tell you the truth nobody knows for certain, but my employer has theories. I won't bore you ladies with the details." He turned to leave. "But Iwill tell you that I or anyone else in my guild will pay handsomely for these if you come across any."

"Shouldn't we get paid for that then? We killed the monster," Lightning said.

"I have paid you. With valuable information," Baird replied. "Ta ta."

Baird ran down the road, back into the Industrial Sector.

"What's with that guy?" Solandra cursed.

"What's that saying? Those who fight and run away-?" Lightning asked.

Solandra chuckled. "I guess it's true enough in our case." She turned her heads towards a small alley. "Hey, what's that?"

Lightning turned over to see what Solandra was looking at. Inscribed on the wall in a deep glowing purple text was the number 7.

"Hope," Lightning said, tapping her earpiece. "Do you see this?"

"Yes, Light. Looks like we have one piece of the code at last."


	14. Chapter 12: Finding The Code

**Chapter 12: Finding The Code**

_Day 2, 1:30_

After a brief patch up, Lightning resumed her journey to the south side of the town. Solandra parted ways with her at the end of the industrial sector.

"I'm gonna keep watch over this area," she said. "Who knows when the Chaos might strike again?"

"Just be careful," Lightning said. "You can't protect anybody if you're dead."

"I know, I know," Solandra nodded.

Lightning climbed up a large set of stairs and then rounded a corner to find the south station plaza. This plaza was a little bit bigger, and included a gorgeous fountain of marble with a statue of the God Bhunivelze. At the far end of the plaza, towards the east, she could see the Cathedral and the enormous golden clock tower.

Right beside one of the telephone booths was another number, scrawled in the same purple lettering.

_4._

"We have two of the numbers. Halfway there," Hope said.

"I've got to collect them by tonight and get into that ceremony," Lightning replied. "If I don't, another soul will be lost forever."

It happened a few seconds after this declaration. While emotion was no longer a part of Lighting's makeup- or at least its effects were severely muted- her instinct hadn't atrophied in the slightest. The air behind her felt as though ripples were running through it, brushing against her arms. She turned swiftly, but there was nobody there, and the air no longer felt hostile.

"What is it?" Hope asked.

"I don't know. Felt like someone was watching... Someone I know," she replied.

Lightning shook it off and returned to her hunt for the numbers. As she turned around to go down the stairs she saw a the figure of a young boy pouting at the bottom of a large platform.

"You okay?" Lightning asked.

The boy grunted. "This stupid small body. I lost my ball on top of this platform and I can't reach it!"

_Another lost treasure,_ Lightning thought. _At least this one is within reach. _

Lightning climbed up to the top of the platform and tossed it down to the boy.

"Thanks, miss!" He smiled. "This is my brothers really. He told me to hang on to it while he went to go take care of that monster."

_That monster_, Lightning's stomach sank. _It can't be..._

"You mean the monster that poured out of the Chaos? In the industrial sector?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah," the boy said. His face suddenly darkened with realization. "Why? Did you see him?"

_He doesn't know. _

"I'm sorry to tell you this," Lightning said. "The monster was defeated... but only one person survived the attack, and it was a woman."

Strangely, the boy did not cry, and his face seemed oddly serene for somebody who had just been told their brother had died. In a small voice, barely more audible than a whisper he sighed.

"I told him. That stupid fool. I told him there was no sense in throwing his life away. If I was bigger, maybe I could have helped him. But no, he had to go play a hero," the boy sat down and began to roll the ball through his fingers. " 'Stay here, Talbot' he'd say. 'You're not big enough to fight a monster like this'. Never mind the fact that he was barely older than me when the Chaos crashed time. Seven years... what's the difference in the long run?"

This was a form of grief that Lightning was very familiar with. Grief beyond tears. Grief that had already been prepared for through an eternity of waiting. She knew this boy's pain. And she knew the acceptance that came with it.

"I'm sorry," she said. And it was oddly sincere. A spark that wasn't quite caring but at least understanding. Perhaps that was a form of emotion that couldn't be dulled, more intellect than heart.

"It's okay. We're all just waiting to go now aren't we?" Talbot replied. "I saw you looking at that number over there. Did you know there's one down by the restaurant district, down one of the alleys?"

"No, I didn't," Lightning replied. "I guess I'll have to backtrack."

"It was _five_," Talbot said. "No reason I can't read you a number after all. Consider that repayment for helping me get this ball back."

"Thank you," Lightning nodded. "And please, let me know if there is anything I can do to help you."

Talbot smiled weakly. "You've already done quite enough."

Lightning's heart warmed and the burden around Talbot washed away. It was a bittersweet way in which his soul had been saved. Similar to Solandra's. Perhaps it wasn't just about a happy ending, but about accepting the grief that came to you. Talbot had accepted the circumstances already. He was prepared for what would come. Lightning knew that when the end came, he would have nothing to fear.

She moved towards the fountain and sat down. Tapping on her ear, she spoke to Hope again. "That's three numbers," she said. "One more number and we've got ourselves a code."

"I've been thinking about that. I've analyzed a pattern from all the locations you've found numbers," Hope said.

"Okay, let's hear it," Lightning replied.

"There was the one against the wall in the industrial sector, and the one next to the south station platform," Hope explained.

"With you so far."

"Talbot said there was another near the restaurant district in an alley. I only see two likely alleys and I have a good guess at which it is. Furthermore, we know the rites take place in the Forsaken Graveyard. Factoring all these points together it looks like they make the head of an arrow, all pointing towards the Forsaken Graveyard. This is more than just a hunch too, the rooftops all perfectly connect around these points, and the Children of Etro seem to favor those to the streets," Hope explained.

"So where's the last number?" Lightning asked.

"My guess would be somewhere in the Warrens," Hope explained.

"If that's the case we've got a big problem. The Warrens don't open until midnight, remember?" Lightning asked.

"The rites don't begin right at midnight though, it's just when the Children of Etro start to gather. If you're fast enough, you might be able to locate the last part of the code and get into the Graveyard in time to stop them," Hope said.

"That's a hell of a chance to take, but I don't really have an alternative," Lightning sighed.

There was that sensation again. The rippling of the air. She turned quickly to see a figure with brown hair and a black shirt dart across a rooftop and disappear before she could get a good look at him. It was unmistakeable now. Somebody was tailing her.

"Strange," Hope said. "I thought I saw someone following you, but my sensors show nothing."

"Could be our friend the Shadow Hunter. Maybe he wanted to drop by and say hello."


	15. Chapter 13: The Angel's Tears

Chapter 13: The Angel's Tears

_Day 2, 3:30_

Lightning's schedule had suddenly become quite open. She couldn't do anything about the Children of Etro until midnight and she did not want to travel to another place. If she got caught up in anything else during the day, she might miss her mark, and another girl would be killed. She could probably have afforded a trip to Yusnaan in terms of her time, but she was still confident that they would be on high alert, waiting for her.

She decided she would walk about Luxerion. After all, there were still plenty of souls to save in this city, not just those who would be affected by the Children of Etro.

She headed towards the Cathedral, which was still on high alert after the recent Chaos infusion. Only one of the twin gates were open and guards were posted at every entrance.

"The Cathedral is the center of the Order's power," Hope said. "The High Priestess gives sermons daily and the people flock to it as a safe haven against evil."

"Who is this High Priestess?" Lightning asked.

"I'm not certain. She's rarely seen in person, and apparently she never leaves the Cathedral," Hope replied.

"Sounds like a boring life," Lightning said dismissively.

Lightning looked at the massive group of citizens still making their way slowly for the midday service. She shrugged her shoulders and decided she had better things to do than to wait for the opportunity to enter.

She looked to her left and saw a small alley which lead up to a causeway that crossed the city parallel to the monorail track.

"The Pilgrim's Causeway is closed right now," said one of the guards standing on post nearby. "There's been some damage thanks to the Chaos infusions. We're still trying to fix it."

"Understood, thank you," Lightning replied.

"I guess you'll just have to backtrack," Hope said.

"See anything useful?"

"Nothing is standing out. You could maybe try the Bazaar near the Industrial District. That would be my best guess."

_Well, it's better than nothing, _Lightning thought as she made her way towards the South Station again.

The bell chimed Four O'Clock and a small crowd was gathering around the figure of a young girl. She had long black hair and was wearing a strange violet beret. She was sobbing profusely, but at the same time the crowd seemed to be taking comfort in it.

A few of the people were walking away with unnerving smiles on their faces, as though they'd just witnessed some kind of miracle. Were they attacking this girl? No, she didn't seem to be hurt in any way. And in fact once the crowd dispersed completely, she returned to her normal composure, albeit with eyes still red from the recent tears. This was an odd display to say the least but perhaps there was something going on that Lightning could help with. She approached the girl cautiously. The moment she took notice of Lightning, her demeanor became that of an enthusiastic salesperson.

"Hello! Would you like to buy some tears? I can make you a great deal! I swear you won't regret it!" She said.

Lightning noticed that beneath the girl's feet was a sign that bore an advertisement for her services: _Luka. The Angel of Luxerion. Quality Tears for Sale, but the price is nothing to cry about!_

This was not the first time that the world she'd awoken to had thoroughly confused her, but it was among the strangest things she'd seen yet.

"You're selling your tears? That's not something you see every day."

"That's right! People say my tears are beautiful and majestic. They can't get enough. Some even call them the tears of an angel."

_Like your sign,_ Lightning thought. _Okay so what's the con?_

"Would you like to see? Only ten gil!"

Lightning, through the magic of having a friend in God, never wanted for coin. As such 10 gil was more than reasonable to see whatever it was to see what Luka had in store for her. Maybe she would understand better if she was able to witness the experience first hand. So Lightning handed the 10 gil over to Luka. Luka took the coin and then folded her arms. She made a few odd motions in her eyes, as though she were trying to start, but then looked up and down Lightning and shook her head.

"Hmm," she sighed. "Never mind. I-I guess I can't sell them to you."

"But you've already taken my money," Lightning replied.

"Don't dwell on the money. It's not about that. I can't sell my tears to just anybody, you know."

"I've never met a merchant who was bold enough to choose their customers."

"I know, but I'm special. I can't give you a refund, but instead, you can ask me anything you want! Anything at all!"

Lightning had all but decided that this was a con of some sort and was no longer amused by it. "No thanks, I'd rather not."

"Then what if I tell you a story that'll make you want to ask me something? You see, I used to be an actress. This was a long time ago. But then... one day... that thing happened. And I had to quit. I can't do much, but I can cry on cue. That's what prompted me to start this business."

_Not _entirely _on cue though, _Lightning thought.

"Come on!" Luka stressed, clearly trying to goad Lightning's curiosity. "Aren't you even the teeniest bit curious why I quit acting? Hmm?"

"Not really, but I'll listen if you want me to."

"Reverse psychology, huh? I'm not falling for that. Besides, I already gave you your money's worth! And that's all for today. If you want more, come back another time!"

And with that Luka began to stroll down to the other end of the station plaza and started selling her services to other patrons.

"A con artist?" Hope asked.

"I don't know. She seemed genuinely interested in trying to get me involved in her life. Though her business tactics are questionable at best," Lightning replied.

"Some souls will take a bit more time to save than others, remember what I said," Hope replied.

"We might not have time for that," Lightning nodded. "But... maybe."


End file.
